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Home Charging Installation

The best place to charge your Tesla is at home, overnight. Pull into your normal parking spot, plug in, and you will wake up to a full charge every morning.

To prepare your home for charging, hire an electrician to install a dedicated circuit convenient to where you will park your vehicle. Tesla now offers installation services in some states, and maintains a list of independent recommended electricians. Learn more about these programs below:

Tesla Home Charging Installation Services

Home charging services can be ordered through the vehicle purchase process or through your ownership advisor within applicable territories.

Tesla’s primary objective is to provide a seamless home charging experience at a reasonable cost. Installation services are performed primarily by Tesla employees, with some work being performed by contracted electricians. To inquire about this service, reach out to HomeCharging@tesla.com or (510) 249-2490 (M-F, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM PST)

Hiring an independent electrician

A licensed electrician will need to visit your home to provide a quote for charging equipment installation. Cost of installation will vary by location, cost can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the scope of work. Some homes may require service panel upgrades or trenching to install home charging equipment, increasing the cost. Like any home improvement project, you may want to have 2 or 3 electricians provide a quote for your installation.

We maintain a list of local third party electricians referred by Tesla owners: Find an Electrician

Permanently mounted to a wall or post, the Wall Connector can be installed both indoors and outdoors. A defining feature is the ability to be installed with any circuit breaker ranging from 15 to 100 amps, which allows the Wall Connector to be custom fit to almost any electrical system.

We recommend installing the Wall Connector with a power output to match the on-board charger of the vehicle, typically a 40, 60 or 90 amp circuit breaker. Technical details and estimated recharge speeds:

Wall ConnectorTechnical details

Recharge speedMiles of range per hour of charge

Circuit breaker(amps)

Maximum output(amps)

Power at 240 volts(kilowatt)

Model 3(mph)

Model S(mph)

Model X(mph)

100

80

19.2 kW

44

52

45

90

72

17.3 kW

44

52

45

80

64

15.4 kW

44

46

40

70

56

13.4 kW

44

40

35

60

48

11.5 kW

44

34

30

50

40

9.6 kW

37

29

25

45

36

8.6 kW

34

26

23

40

32

7.7 kW

30

23

20

35

28

6.7 kW

26

20

17

30

24

5.7 kW

22

17

14

25

20

4.8 kW

19

14

11

20

16

3.8 kW

15

11

8

15

12

2.8 kW

11

7

5

Wall ConnectorTechnical details

Recharge speedMiles of range per hour of charge

Circuit breaker(amps)

Maximum output(amps)

Power at 240 volts(kilowatt)

Model 3(mph)

Model S(mph)

Model X(mph)

100

80

19.2 kW

44

52

45

90

72

17.3 kW

44

52

45

80

64

15.4 kW

44

46

40

70

56

13.4 kW

44

40

35

60

48

11.5 kW

44

34

30

50

40

9.6 kW

37

29

25

45

36

8.6 kW

34

26

23

40

32

7.7 kW

30

23

20

35

28

6.7 kW

26

20

17

30

24

5.7 kW

22

17

14

25

20

4.8 kW

19

14

11

20

16

3.8 kW

15

11

8

15

12

2.8 kW

11

7

5

When plugged in to a Tesla, the Wall Connector automatically manages the supplied power based on how it's programmed by the electrician during installation. Automatic load management also allows two, three or four Wall Connectors to share a single circuit breaker, maximizing efficiency when charging multiple vehicles.

A Tesla will only draw as much power as the on-board charger in the vehicle can accept.

Vehicle on-board charger

The on-board charger converts incoming alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) to store in the battery. The capacity of the on-board charger represent the maximum power input that the vehicle can accept from the Mobile Connector, Wall Connector or public charging stations. Superchargers and other DC fast charging stations do not use the on-board charger.

For new Tesla vehicles, the on-board charger capacity is matched to the the vehicle battery:

Vehicle battery option

On-board charger capacity (current/power)

Model 3 Standard battery

32 amp / 7.7 kW

Model 3 Long Range batteryModel S or Model X with 75 kWh battery

48 amp / 11.5 kW

Model S or Model X with 100 kWh battery

72 amp / 17.3 kW

Used or inventory Tesla vehicles may have a different configuration for the on-board charger. If you are unsure about the on-board charger of a used vehicle, unplug the car and check the charge settings. This can be accessed via the lightning bolt icon found at the top of the touchscreen. Look for (Max: ## A) to determine the maximum current input capacity of the on-board charger.

Classic Model S, manufactured from 2012 to Spring 2016 and identified by a black nose cone were equipped with either a Single charger (40 amp / 9.6 kW) or Dual chargers (80 amp / 19.2 kW).

Mobile Connector and standard charging accessories

All new vehicles include a Mobile Connector as standard equipment. This is a 20 foot long charging cable that has interchangeable adapters which allow you to plug into different types of 120 and 240 volt outlets. Keep it plugged in to the outlet in your garage for daily use and bring it with you when going on a road trip.

Outlets and Adapters

To recharge from an outlet, attach the appropriate adapter to your Mobile Connector, plug into the outlet and then the vehicle. Recharge speeds and power supply information will be displayed on the vehicle touchscreen. If you have an existing outlet in your garage, match the shape of the prongs to the table below to find the supported Mobile Connector adapter, if available. Tesla produces adapters for the most common receptacle types.

The Mobile Connector automatically detects the attached adapter and communicates the correct charging current level to the vehicle to ensure an easy and seamless charging experience. The adapter should always plug directly into the outlet, do not use third party converter plugs, extension cords or other similar accessories.

Vehicle charge port

The charge port is located at the the rear, driver side of all Tesla vehicles. Install your charging equipment in a position convenient to where you plan to park.

Recommended installation areas for each option:

Permits and inspections

As with any home improvement project involving the electrical system, a permit and city or county inspection may be required. Ask your electrician to specify what the local regulatory requirements are for your area.

Incentives

Some utility companies offer a time-of-use energy rate or second smart meters for electric vehicle owners. Contact your utility to inquire about energy rate plans that are available for electric vehicle owners.

Multi-family properties

Begin talking with property management about your intent to purchase a plug-in vehicle as early as possible. Ask if any of the neighbors have expressed similar interest, or if they have plans to add charging infrastructure to the building. Below you will find two documents to assist with requesting charging installation from your building management. The first document is a templated letter that can be tailored to your specific property. The second is a presentation to show the benefits and process of installing charging.

The installation of charging equipment is a value-adding property upgrade for any apartment or condo community and will help retain and attract energy conscious, high-value tenants. If you develop, manage or own a multi-family property and would like assistance with charging equipment installation please fill out the Charging Partners application form.

California residents: Assembly Bill 2565 offers legal support for lessee’s to install their own electric vehicle charging equipment at a rental property. Consult with a legal professional to determine if a specific situation is covered under AB-2656. it is the policy of the state to promote, encourage, and remove obstacles to the use of electric vehicle charging stations.

Automatic load management with multiple Wall Connectors

Up to four Tesla Wall Connectors can be linked together to intelligently share power from a single circuit breaker. This functionality is beneficial for homes or commercial locations which need to charge more than one Tesla vehicle at the same time, but may not have enough power for multiple electrical circuits. For this type of installation, an electrician can provide a distribution box to split power between multiple Wall Connectors and install a communication cable which enables the units to operate as a network. This allows one station to provide maximum power to a single vehicle, or to split power when more than one Tesla is plugged in. To maximize charging speed we recommend installing the largest circuit breaker possible for the electrical panel, up to 100 amps. See Appendix B of the second generation Wall Connector installation manual for more information.